Car with 1914 California plates. Need help to identify

[CaroleB]

My grandparents lived  in San Francisco in 1914 and we have this picture of their car.  Can anyone help us identify it?

[28 Chrysler]

Could be a 1908 Rambler.  The radiator has the curved bars , high in the center.

[keiser31]

Hood shape, cowl to hood area and squared off front fenders look like Flanders.

[oldcarfudd]

If there's a way to boost the contrast, you might be able to read the nameplate on the radiator.

[CaroleB]

Good idea.  I’ll see if I can do that.  And thanks to the two people who provided thoughts earlier today.

[Gunsmoke]

Script looks like Jackson, but fenders not perfect match for 1913 Jackson I see on-line. 

[JV Puleo]

Try this one...

 

[sagefinds]

What big eyeballs you have O' mysterious one.

[Stude17]

Looks like a 1913 Studebaker to me.

 

Here is a link to a 1913 Studebaker 25:

 

http://www.motorbase.com/picture/profile/2007/06/28/1913-studebaker-model-25-touring-sedan-fvl/

Edited September 29, 2019 by Stude17
Add link (see edit history)

[Bloo]

I'm thinking more like 1912-ish Flanders 20. The fenders look right, but the 1913 Studebaker had a different type of cowl. My 1913 Studebaker:

 

 

A 1912 Flanders 20:

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Stude17]

26 minutes ago, Bloo said:

I'm thinking more like 1912-ish Flanders 20. The fenders look right, but the 1913 Studebaker had a different type of cowl. My 1913 Studebaker:

 

 

A 1912 Flanders 20:

 

 

Had a further look at the bonnet and I have to agree you that it is more than likely a late production Flanders produced when all reference to EMF was removed in lieu of the Studebaker name.  Probably 1912/13.  The headlights put me in the Studebaker direction as they look like electric to me.  Never seen a EMF with electric headlights.

[Bloo]

Me neither, but I have seen Flanders without headlights at all. It still would have been Flanders (and EMF on the larger car) in 1912, but Studebaker was hanging their radiator scripts on them in 1912, and probably a lot earlier.

 

The 1913 models (introduced in late 1912) were all-Studebaker. The first electric lights were on the 1913 Studebaker 35, and the 25 still had Acetylene. Allegedly there was a big 6 cylinder car with electric lights too, but I have never seen one.

 

Ill bet those lights were the latest greatest thing in 1914, and had just been installed on a 1912-ish Flanders 20.

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[CaroleB]

Thank you to all.  My grandfather was the west coast sales manager for Willard Storage Battery in 1914 so having the latest and greatest electric lights would make sense.  This forum is a wonderful resource and I’m so grateful to you all for sharing your knowledge!  I have one more mystery car to post.

[CaroleB]

I have one more related question.  My grandparents were only in San Francisco during 1814-1915 having been promoted from the Cleveland office and then promoted to move to Detroit.  Under those circumstances would people take their cars with them or sell and buy a new one in the new city?  Were the roads good enough to take a car cross country or was it possible to ship a car?  I’m just curious.

[28 Chrysler]

A car could have been shipped quickly by rail instead of being  driven across country.  A lower priced car  may have had little or no value after being just a few years old. The Flanders were a low priced car and not known for being very reliable.

[Bloo]

My Studebaker pictured above is very similar to a Flanders or EMF., and I shudder at the thought of driving it across the country. I think it would take 2 weeks or more on modern 2 lane roads if you had no issues with the car.

 

Cross country car trips in those days were the sort of thing a car company might do, along with a media blitz, to prove reliability. Hupmobile did it in 1916. Unless your grandparents were hard-as-nails adventurers, out to prove something, there is just no way. They would have got on a train, because that was how people traveled. The Flanders could have been shipped by rail, but probably wouldn't have been. In 1915 it was 3 years old, and cars didn't hold up very well.

 

https://www.history.com/news/the-epic-road-trip-that-inspired-the-interstate-highway-system

 

http://theoldmotor.com/?p=162293

 

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[Bloo]

Cross country trip in an EMF (same manufacturer as Flanders, just a little bigger) in 2011:

 

http://emfauto.org/Swan_2012_EMF_Adventure.php

 

[Dave Henderson]

Has anyone noticed how the rear wheel is leaning in?  

[Bloo]

Eldora, Iowa to Los Angeles California in a 1912 EMF 30 in 1913!

 

http://articles.rrvcsdc.org/1913-Studebaker-Trip-Diary.php

 

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[keiser31]

The EMF has the hood contour/dashboard detail as on the car in question....the regular Studebaker does not.

[Bloo]

1912 Flanders 20 hood contour:

 

 

1912 EMF 30 hood coutour:

 

 

1913 Studebaker 25 hood countour:

 

 

1913 Studebaker 35 hood contour:

 

 

To me, the Flanders 20 is the odd man out, and looks like the hood shape shown in the original posting.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by Bloo (see edit history)

[keiser31]

1 hour ago, Bloo said:

1912 Flanders 20 hood contour:

 

 

1912 EMF 30 hood coutour:

 

 

1913 Studebaker 25 hood countour:

 

 

1913 Studebaker 35 hood contour:

 

 

To me, the Flanders 20 is the odd man out, and looks like the hood shape shown in the original posting.

 

 

Ooops. You are correct. I meant to say Flanders has the contour. Sorry about that. I hadn't had my second cup of coffee, yet.